Hazing (subjecting newcomers to abusive or humiliating tricks and ridicule) has always been seen as a secretive campus activity when it comes to fraternities and pledging. As a result, Dr. Mark Taff resorted in his article that, "..a series of 168 cases of injuries and deaths related to fraternity hazing activities...[occurred] in the United States between 1923 and 1982" (2113). Young college men are being hospitalized and even worse, dying, just for a couple of friends that give them a sense of belonging. The major causes of hazing are the students' wanting a sense of belonging in a big college campus, the college's infrequent knowledge of what occurs in fraternities, and the unwillingness of fraternities to change tradition. Since hazing has been around for more than a century, one cannot expect the practice of hazing to stop all together. It will probably take years before hazing perishes from the fraternity scene. Nevertheless, until an end is put to hazing, solutions can !

be used to make hazing less common, until it no longer exists. These solutions that may be able to put an eventual stop to hazing, in the long run, are better education about fratern

ies (which are seen differently from regular fraternities), but it is not as severe in sororities as it is in fraternities.

One cause of hazing is that fraternity members do not want to change tradition. Hazing has been a part of fraternity initiations ever since fraternities were founded. Hazing was used to test the pledges that wanted to join the fraternity, to make sure that the pledge was "fraternity material." According to one pledge, fraternity members have "'a feeling that if I went through it, you should too...So as long as there are people in the fraternity who were beaten, they feel they have a right to beat you'" (Milloy C10). If fraternity members think this way then how can hazing be prevented so that innocent men do not die just for friends and a "feeling of belonging."

Hazing has been a part of fraternities in the Unites States since 1830. Although warnings about the dangers of fraternity hazing were addressed in the 1980s with anti-hazing laws in some states, and punishments against such activities, the practice of hazing still exists in college campuses today. The causes of hazing, a need of wanting to fit in by the students, no interest from college administrators and the fraternities unwillingness to break tradition, are all making incidents all too common in campuses today. If only there was a way to join a fraternity, without giving away your life in return. Hazing can be stopped if three major solutions are exercised by fraternities and the colleges that they are at. These solutions are better education about fraternity hazing, stricter laws to prevent hazing from occurring, and more intervention from college administrators. Hazing will continue to exist if college fraternities allow it to. One solution that will make hazing less comm!

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owers [who]...[have] helped achieve [anti-hazing laws] in Wisconsin, South Carolina, and New Jersey, respectively" (252). As a result of these people's interests, "fraternity members are discovering that they are extremely vulnerable to legal action stemming from alcohol-related incidents, hazing abuses and sexual assaults" (Marcus B1). Fraternities are liable to pay large sums of money in hazing related deaths. As Mr. Manley (a lawyer) states in an article written by Amy Marcus, "the students don't realize "that they could end up in jail, in bankruptcy court, or spending the rest of their lives paying off a multimillion-dollar debt" (B1). All fifty states have to pass anti-hazing laws so that hazing can be put to an end , without having more pledges die as result. As Eileen Stevens states in Marcus' article, "publicity about larger settlements and damage awards has forced many colleges to re-evaluate the fraternity social system and implement tougher rules" (B1). Without the !

ity hazing, stricter laws to prevent hazing from occurring, and more intervention from college administrators.

The humiliations of hazing are said to build bonds between pledges and fraternity brothers. According to fraternity beliefs, the theory goes, if you and a couple of friends go through fraternity initi

Some common words found in the essay are:
Eileen Steven, Mark Taff, Milloy C10, Marriott B3, Hank Nuwer, September October, Stevens Marcus', Jack Daniel's, Preface Chuck, Starts I1, college administrators, fraternity hazing, prevent hazing, anti-hazing laws, hazing incidents, prevent hazing occurring, hazing occurring, college campuses, stricter laws prevent, laws passed, hank nuwer, marriott b3, laws prevent hazing, author hank nuwer, intervention college administrators,
Approximate Word count = 2120
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)